Theroux, who scripted Tropic Thunder and who wrote with an eye to direct Zoolander 2, will helm a two-hander comedy in which Ferrell will play a narcissistic hedge fund manager who thinks he has seen God. Ferrell would make the film after he reprises local newscaster Ron Burgundy in the Anchorman sequel.

This is a surprise in that Warner Bros doesn’t usually spark to new directors, but they have embraced Theroux, who will be rewriting a script by Due Date scribes Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland. Adam McKay and Ferrell and Chris Henchy will produce this for Gary Sanchez. This comes as the label tomorrow releases the Jay Roach-directed The Campaign, starring Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis with Warner Bros.

Carell is just opening alongside Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones in Hope Springs. He also stars in the Lorene Scafaria-directed Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World, and has reprised voicing Gru in Despicable Me 2. He also stars opposite Jim Carrey in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Ferrell is repped by CAA and Mosaic, and Carell is repped by WME and Media Four’s Steve Sauer. and Theroux is repped by CAA. WB’s Jon Berg, a producer on Elf, is overseeing this.